Container accommodation ruled illegal

Illegal shipping containers used for visitor accommodation were perched precariously above the Shotover River and could have killed someone, the Queenstown Lakes District Council says.

Lisa Karen Kalazich admitted in the Queenstown District Court on Monday that she had converted the containers into residential units without a building consent and had the relocatable containers on her land.

The two charges were laid under the Building Act and the Resource Management Act.

A council summary of facts said it found out the shipping containers were being used as accommodation at an Arthurs Point property in January 2017.

Kalazich owned the property and advised council representatives it was used as a holiday rental but said the containers were temporary.

No enforcement action was taken.

The council received a further complaint and a link to an accommodation booking website in May 2018, which showed the shipping containers being advertised for visitor accommodation.

The two shipping container buildings had been established without any verification of the foundations supporting them.

The council issued a Notice to Fix in July last year, requiring Kalazich to remove any building work that was completed without building consent and ordering her not to use any of the buildings until they were compliant with the Building Code.

The notice had not been complied with before Monday’s court appearance, but Kalazich had applied for a certificate of acceptance and had been given a list of outstanding items to be addressed on February 19, the summary says.

The case was adjourned to April 29.